Wel lthis is the largest tool purchase I have ever made, ALL my stuff is auction / horse trade junk that needed rebuilding(for the most part) ‘cept foer the Oneida, this was my first new tool! I ordered at the Springfield ww show. Everything I read says dont skimp if you can afford it on a band saw. I considered old, big Iron, but w/ rigging usually needed, the inital cost, then the required rebuild, I would have a great BIG machine, likly too tall, too wide for my liking. I must also assume the last 60 years have allowed for some design improvements as well, AND I can get parts and tech. help. I looked at Laguna, as well as Grizzly, never saw the Agganizi(sp?), but heard it was nice. Lots of prereading and a first hand look at the show sold me. Laguna is a good saw, but I liked several features on the MM16 better. I call Grizzly a good value, but I did not feel they are the same HD, but I could be wrong. I saw little on line about their big band saws and like to read, use and touch before buying!
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Replies
dave,
Congratulations !! I was at the Springfield show also and got to play with the MM. Wow! what a machine...ya gotta be happy with that. If there are others that are slightly better or slightly cheaper who cares...there's no way that machine will disappoint you.
Dave: Do these have cast iron wheels? How much did you end up paying and how are you getting it home? Also: Are you using it for a specialized purpose? Just curious I don't have a bandsaw yet but would like to know what some of the issues are.
Hi, $1895 w/ wheel kit and 3 blades at Springfield show. It has cast Iron wheels for blade The web site lists $1995, I a,m still wondering if this was the best $. seems like I just missed a price increase truck freight from Austin is an additional 295$$
The wheels are cast iron and the saw is fabulous! He will be very happy. The only negative I have heard about the MM is that they have some switch problems. Besides the fact the saw is awesome so is the customer service. If you have switch or any other problem they will have replacement parts on the way the next day and will talk you through any questions or problems that you run into. I did a lot of research and looked at both the Laguna and the MM at the Denver show - they're both good saws but the MM has several advantages and a bigger motor (which is really nice when you're resawing 12" maple). The customer service is another place where MM is way ahead (if you talk to the salesman at a show you'll quickly notice the difference in attitude).
It's the nicest tool in my shop (and the most expensive) and I'm one very happy customer.
And yes he did get caught in a price increase - the eruo went up and since MM is made in Italy so did the price.
Jim
Jim,
I wasn't aware there was a WW show in Denver, I'd love to go. Any idea how I could get some info? When is it?
Congrats on the MM saws to you guys. I've never heard anything bad about them. Someday....Steve
Dirt?
The Denver show is usually in November. I don't know when the next one is scheduled and their website only shows like the next 6 months. The last 2 or 3 have been around Thanksgiving. I'm on the local Woodcraft & Rockler email lists and they usually send me information and discount coupons. It's a great way to actually get your hands on some of the stuff you've only seem in catalogs and also pick up some clamps, sandpaper, etc.
Jim
Jim
"The only problem I've heard is the switch has some problems".
With all that MM16 has going for it and the folks at MM falling in the same category, I would just "hot-wire" the switch and still be tickled pink. ha.. ha...
Regards...
sarge..jtProud member of the : "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Sarge,
It's always nice to hear from you. It apparently isn't an easy matter to bypass the switch with all the interlocks with the micro switches on the doors, brake, etc. Fortunately it's the larger saws 20" and 24" (can't even imagine) that are having problems. My "little" MM16 just purrs along and does everything I ask. I've even started doing a lot of my ripping on it instead of the TS - I feel much safer.
Jim
Jim
I have a MM16. I just let the guys and gals from Mini-Max keep it and take it to the WW Shows. I get to see my saw again this week-end at the Atlanta WW Shows. As long as they have taken care of it, I will probably let them continue to use it unless I get into a situation where I do a lot more re-saw than my neighbors MM can keep up with. ha.. ha....
Want to hear about that big fish that got away too? he..he
I would love one but can't justify at this point...
sarge..jtProud member of the : "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Sarge,
You just won't let it in your shop cause it would clash with your red and blue motif....(he's such a slave to decor..)
This weekend I saw the MM16 for the first time at the house/shop of a friend. Wow. I've been toiling away all these years on a 14" Jet clone. The MM16 was a totally different kind of machine, not unlike the difference between a Stanley hardware store plane and a Lie-Nielsen. He had been resawing and for my benefit (or just to make me more jealous) turned on the saw and shoved through some hardwood, effortlessly taking off a 1/8" sliver. Since my 14" clone has been giving me lots of trouble recently anyway, basically turning itself into a large paperweight, I guess the MM16 is the next big purchase.
MM16 is a really nice machine, compared to the standard 14 incher with 1 hp. I've had mine for only few months and am tempted to upgrade to a 20 incher. I also have the SC4W 12-inch sliding tablesaw and the FS35 14-inch jointer/planer. You can tell by all the innovative features (too many to list) that the manufacturer put a lot of thought into their products, unlike most of the American-style machines that haven't changed much since the 1930s. Mini Max makes pretty nice machines but they are relatively expensive, or very cheap by European-machine standards. It's unfortunate the MM16 is one of the LEAST expensive machines in the MM lineup.
Well, you have certainly done your bit for the economy!
I agree that you should definitely upgrade to the 20". And rather than put the 16" on the trash heap, I might be willing to take it off your hands - heck, I'd even pay for shipping.
Just kidding, of course. The table saw and jointer must be terrific, if the bandsaw is any indication of their quality.
It's great for the Mini Max sales people but I think I'm broke from the purchases. All together was around $12k for the three. I guess I'll have to head to Grizzly to pick up a 3hp shaper. Let me see how much I have in my penny jar.
BG
Just a matter of stripping the paint down and re-shooting it another color. Wouldn't take an hour. Learned it back when a lot of cars came up missing and re-appeared in a different color with a new serial number. Got to hone the skill while attending body shop and auto painting classes on the Georgia Chain Gang. Betcha I can eat 50 hard boiled eggs! he.. he...
Just to warm your artic day.. :>)
sarge..jtProud member of the : "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Sarge,
Your very lucky to be living in an area where you can re-shoot. We're supposed to have a foot of snow today....but they revised their estimates to 2"...cause the dew point is -1 and the snow can't hit the ground before evaporating. Hell, even Dr. dean last night realized getting spitting mad over a second place finish was useless.
Talking about Cool Hand Luke, did you notice last night in NH they have all claimed victory....at least the eggs were real....lol
BG
Where does that Dean "boy" hail from? You can look at him and tell he hadn't ever planted no taters or been to a NASCAR race. Now if he vowed to make Dale Earnhart Jr. his vice president he might pick up a little speed in the straight-away!
All them politicians seem to know how to tell lies, they just don't know how to tell "good-uns". ha..ha..
sarge..jt
Proud member of the : "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Sarge,
yup, your right, no taters in the wilds of Vermont....lots of cheese however....
As Jay Leno observed after the results of Iowa......" big changes on the political scene..now the Yalie in the White House will be running against the Yalie from Mass. instead of the Yalie from Vermont"....lol
Sarge,
By the way my MM is locked up in the gun safe and I ain't betting against you on the 50 eggs. (I haven't seen anything you can't do when you put your mind to it.)
Have a good day,
Jim
Jim
People say I have re-formed. The ones that don't I just tell to get the h*ll off my property and don't come back... or else!
Have a good day :>)
sarge..jtProud member of the : "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Just for you Sarge - dare to dream!
(scroll down to see full picture)
Dan Kornfeld, Owner/President - Odyssey Wood Design, Inc.
Edited 1/29/2004 11:01:42 PM ET by Jackie Chan
Dan
That's the one I designed as the secret weapon. Did you notice the autograph on the side just under the table. Only cost $10 extra and all proceeds from the auto-graph go to charity.
Now that MM model will cut quicker, more aggressively and hold up much longer than those surgical room looking white models. You get what you pay for! ha.. ha... ha..ha..ha..
Regards from the sarge..jtProud member of the : "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
You don't mess around when you get a new machine! Really, really nice BS! Enjoy....
It sounds like you did your research and made a good buy. Enjoy your saw.
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